The Brooklyn Nets don’t seem to want to let restricted free agent Nic Claxton slip through their fingers.
The team is said to be ready to match any offer that comes the way of the 23-year-old big man, an NBA general manager told Heavy’s Sean Deveney. As a restricted free agent (RFA), the Nets have the right to match any offer sheet that may be sent Claxton’s way.
“He is not going to get more than a midlevel offer from a team like Charlotte or Chicago, and if that is the case, they’re comfortable matching it,” the Eastern Conference GM said.”He is restricted, they can match anything another team gives him. He is looking at something like three years, $35 million.”
Claxton has certainly come with his fair share of ups and downs during the course of his time with the Nets. He has dealt with injuries and COVID, but seemed to take the right steps as the 2021-22 season played out.
He was also the beneficiary of extended playing time in December as COVID decimated the Nets.
Claxton averaged 8.7 points per game, a career-best, and shot 67.4% from the field this year during the regular season. In the playoffs, he also played well, despite a 1-for-11 night from the free-throw line in Game 4.
The big man averaged 10.5 points a game while averaging 24.5 minutes against the Boston Celtics in the first round.
Brooklyn Nets have 48 hours to match any offer that Claxton may receive and they can offer him up to four years and $55 million if they get a deal done before June 30.
“They are not sold on him as the big guy of the future but at that number, they’d keep him around, and know they can move him in a deal next summer if they have something better in mind. Trouble is, they’ve got a short window here so they can’t wait for him too long. But Sean (Marks) is a believer in development and they are not going to give up on him that fast,” the general manager said.
For more Brooklyn Nets coverage, visit AMNY.com and our affiliate site at TheBrooklynGame.com
Claxton is one of several free agents Nets general manager Sean Marks will need to make a decision on this offseason. Last week, it was reported that the Boston Celtics could make a play for pending Nets free agent Bruce Brown.
